


Shiny Tin Stars

by Intravi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Hashirama calm down, I Know What This Means But You Don't And That's Okay Please Accept This Gift Anyways, Izuna no don't touch that, M/M, Sorry Tobirama, Tobirama calm down, Tobirama doesn't know how to deal with his feelings anymore, mmmmmmh culture, oh hey look another magic au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-10 18:38:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12917859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Intravi/pseuds/Intravi
Summary: Tobirama has been all but alone for, he pauses for a moment and finds that he can no longer recall how many years it has been since his brother all but left him for another creature of the forest. A very long time, he decides.





	1. Ups and Downs and Cloudy Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, here it is!!

Tobirama has been all but alone for, he pauses for a moment and finds that he can no longer recall how many years it has been since his brother all but left him for another creature of the forest. A very long time, he decides. Hashirama has been around less in the recent years, going off to talk and spend time with this creature at every possible moment. When Tobirama inquires where he has been, pretty red flowers bloom on Hashirama’s head and shoulders, telling of his embarrassment and guilt. The only sure answer he’s ever gotten was a few months ago. “Soon,” Is what he had said. He sighs softly and closes his eyes.

But Tobirama is a very skeptical creature and doubts that whatever Hashirama had meant would be anytime in the next four years. He leans over the branch he’s sitting to peer at the water below. His brother had grown this for him when they were young, knowing that each of his younger siblings liked to watch Tobirama as he practiced on the water’s surface.

The ornaments Kawarama and Itama had made him sway softly from their perch on his antlers, one on each. A woven flower made of simple string, Kawarama had a talent to make string or fabric from anything it was possible, hangs on the left. And a wooden leaf, whittled from an ancient oak by Itama, hangs on the right. The flowers that curl around them trail down a few inches but never leave the antlers, as Tobirama kept them. He hates it when they drape, he finds it impractical as they often got tangled. The ornaments a sign he has not moved on, the flowers are ones of mourning. 

His reflection stares back at him and for a very brief moment, he thinks he can see his brother further down but he dismisses it. The water seemed to be playing tricks on him today.

“Tobirama!” Hashirama shouts happily, the grass livening up in his wake. He looks quite pleased with himself as he makes his way over to his younger sibling.

The way he rips his gaze away from the water and jerks up in surprise is probably telling.

“Brother?” Tobirama questions. This was the second time this month Hashirama has visited when he rarely visits once every three.

Hashirama smiles widely at him, the wind tossing his long hair over his shoulders. “I finally got permission to take you with me!” He says excitedly. There are tiny flowers growing and blooming at his feet so Tobirama decides to calm him down before he floods the place with an overabundance of plants.

He slides off of the branch and walks across the water, hardly leaving a ripple. “Don’t start growing plants again, brother. They took forever to clear out last time,” He says as he steps onto solid land and continues towards him. “Permission to take me where?” He asks.

More flowers bloom, red and orange this time. “Well, it took a while but I finally got permission to take you to where I’ve been going all this time.” He taps his thigh anxiously. “I have left you alone for far too long.” He admits.

It’s as if his stupid older brother has taken the sky and made it green. Tobirama’s breath catches in his throat, he jerks his head sharply to the side and refuses to look Hashirama in the face. “You were mourning” He reminds him tightly. 

“So were you!” Hashirama protests loudly, the plants rustle around them and the trees sway slightly. “And I left you! I left you while you needed me most because I was young and stupid.”

Tobirama takes a deep breath and crosses his arms, lest he move them with a little too much force and accidentally leach all of the water from the trees. The sky is darkening with storm clouds, as he tries to get himself under control, emotions running rampant. He unforgivingly tamps them down. “You were a child and you were mourning, of course you were stupid,” He says after a pause.

Hashirama throws his hands into the air and the grass rises a foot and a half. “Let me apologize!” He yells frustratedly. The flowers have wilted, leaving thorns in their place and the grass has turned a muddy green.

“I left you for years,” Tobirama doesn’t like where this is going. “You were only thirteen when the clan left and when our brothers died.” A stone drops in Tobirama’s gut. Hashirama needs to stop. “I was too lost in my own world to notice that you needed someone-” Tobirama cuts him off with a hard look.

“Enough.”

“I am sorry.”

Tobirama uncrosses his arms and opens his left hand, bringing it up to his chest, his palm facing Hashirama. “All is forgiven,” He says softly. The sky above them starts to clear, revealing the bright sky. His hands come to rest at his sides once again, the sleeve of his light blue kimono coming down to his second knuckle.

It must have been weighing more heavily on Hashirama’s mind than Tobirama had thought because his face crumples and he looks like he’s going to cry in relief. Their relationship may never go back to what it was but Hashirama is still his older brother. He takes the few steps over to his brother who is watching him in some shock and confusion and gives him a hug, hands fisting in the loose fabric of his haori. It had been a very long time since he had given his brother a hug, even longer since he even thought of it.

“Get your hair tangled on my antlers and I will shave your head,” He threatens.

His older brother sniffles and Tobirama barely as a moment to think before he’s swept up in a bone crushing hug. He is enveloped in warmth, the scent of fire and smoke that seems to cling to Hashirama lingers in the air. The moment he starts to shift uncomfortably, he’s set back down, bare feet landing softly on the forest floor. Hashirama grabs his hands and he makes no move to remove his own.

“Where is it you have gotten permission to take me, Nii-tama?” Tobirama asks after a long moment.

Hashirama practically glows with excitement, “Up the mountain!” He says, absolutely enthused.

Tobirama blinks once, twice. “Isn’t that-” He stops talking, absolutely baffled. “Tengus?” Of all the things his brother could have done, this is one he had not expected. Maybe kodama or the forest nymphs, they seemed like the type Hashirama would talk to. Maybe he didn’t know his brother as well as he thought he had.

“They said I can take you there tomorrow!” Hashirama tells him. He’s grinning again and the plants seem a little healthier than they did a moment before.

“Tomorrow,” Tobirama sighs. The timing certainly could be better. “You remember what tomorrow is?” He instantly regrets saying anything about it as he watches the realization and regret seep into Hashirama’s expression.

“I know,” He trails off. “I just thought that you might like to do something instead of staying here alone,” After a pause, he adds, “Again.”

Tobirama squeezes Hashirama’s hands gently. “I don’t mind,” He tells him softly. Really, he doesn’t. He’s actually a bit thankful that his mind would be otherwise occupied, as guilty as that makes him. “Who will I be meeting?”

“His name is Madara! You’ll also be meeting the rest of his clan, the Uchiha.” Hashirama tells him enthusiastically, beaming the entire time.

“His entire clan?” Tobirama questions weakly.

The nod he gets in confirmation makes his knees a bit weak, a clan is… Huge. He’s not sure if he can- if he can actually do it. His hands go slack in his brothers and they slip out of Hashirama’s grip. He takes a small step back, wrapping his arms around himself unsurely.

“I don’t,” Tobirama pauses for half of a second, not entirely sure how to go on, brows furrowing. “I don’t think I can meet,” He takes a shaky breath. “An entire clan,” He breathes out, rubbing his arms in an effort to calm himself. He knows he shouldn’t be this affected by the simple thought of meeting more than two or three people but he’s been all but alone for far, far too long to react in any other way. It suddenly occurs to him that he’s hardly seen any other creature than the Umino water spirit, the one with the scar on the bridge of his nose and his brother whenever he visited. He’s out of touch with his emotions, the argument that was not an argument earlier proves as much. A cloudy sky because he could not handle an apology.

Hashirama is suddenly in his face again, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his cheek, thumb stroking his cheekbone as if he were made of the most delicate glass. His presence is large, calming and warm, he finds himself leaning into his touch in a way he has not done since they were kids.

“You don’t have to go if it makes you uncomfortable, Tobirama.” Hashirama tells him quietly.

He finds himself shaking his head in protest, he will go, damn it. “No. I will go, if only for a brief moment,” Tobirama tells him, looking up at his face. “You said it took a long time, I will not waste your effort.”

Hashirama chuckles, deep in his chest and it washes over Tobirama like the warmth from the hearth after being outside on a cold winter day. “Okay,” He starts, “But the moment it becomes too much, let me know.” And he grabs Tobirama’s hands again, prying them from the vice-like grip they had on his arms. It’s a little too much but… he finds he doesn’t mind as much as he would have normally.

Tobirama slowly relaxes in the presence of his brother, tension melting off of his shoulders. He lets himself lower to the forest floor, Hashirama following him and looking more than happy to sit there in the dirt. Tobirama doesn’t need any form of rest but he spreads himself out and lays his head on his brother’s lap anyways. “Will you tell me their names, anija?”

The way Hashirama’s face lights up is definitely worth asking, even if he knows the next hour will be filled with mindless chatter and endless ramblings and Hashirama playing with the flowers on his antlers, careful not to ruin them but making them brighter or smaller, making them bloom and smell fresher. 

“Madara is the clan head right now and he’s a bit mean looking, but… he is fundamentally kind. He’s only got one little brother left and his name is Izuna. He tends to fancy anyone strong, I think he’d fancy you, actually,” Tobirama closes his eyes and smiles a small, barely there smile as he listens to Hashirama’s voice. “The whole clan has hair that looks as if one of the gods themselves painted it with the black from the night sky on a moonless night.”

Tobirama doesn’t even realize when he falls asleep, listening to his brother wax poetic about a clan up the mountain with wings more powerful than the winds and morals that seems more valuable to them than any territory could ever be worth.

He sleeps until dawn.


	2. And It Blooms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!! But I'm back, babey!! It's time to really get the ball rolling!

Tobirama wakes up to hands gently running through his hair, the smell of fresh flowers, and the rising sun. He blinks blearily up at the face hovering above him. “Nii-tama?” He questions, voice thick with sleep.

“Good morning, little brother.” Hashirama greets warmly.

He blinks slowly at his older brother. “I fell asleep?” He supposes it makes sense. Although his body can go almost a year without sleep, his minds needs rest. Tobirama silently curses himself for such foolishness. With all the memories that had been unwillingly dragged up yesterday, he wouldn’t have been surprised to wake up to several acres of flooded land.

His eyes catch movement and he turns to see what it was. The child Umino water spirit waves at him, dressed in a traditional piece of nymphs clothing so long it trails slightly on the ground, it almost looks like silk in water in the way it rests on his frame. Nervously glancing at his brother, the child pulls his arms up so that he is hugging himself. Tobirama could understand that well. If you didn’t know of Hahsirama’s gentle nature, surely the power coursing beneath his skin would warn you off. He pushes his brother aside so that he doesn’t hit him with his antlers as he gets up, ignoring the noises of protest, and goes to the water spirit, kneeling so they are face to face and grabs the small hands with his own, gently prying them from their death grip on the child’s arms.

“Is everything alright, Iruka?” He asks softly, as he is always sure to be as gentle as he possibly can be with the children of the forest. They need a gentle hand, something that not all sprits can give them.

Iruka shakes his head and scrunches up his face, the scar across the bridge of his nose wrinkling at the edges. “He feels funny.” He whispers.

“You remember the brother I told you about? The one who visits rarely,” He tacks on the last part hastily, not wanting him to bring up Kawarama or Itama in Hashirama’s presence. It could possibly lead to plants. A lot of plants. Not only a lot of them, but deadly, poisonous plants. Tobirama can’t have that with the children around.

Iruka’s expression clears and he nods enthusiastically. “The one who grows flowers,” He says confidently. He’s bouncing on his toes and the cloth seems to ripple as it moves around him. “Can I see?” He whispers excitedly.

A laugh crawls up his throat and out of his mouth as he picks Iruka up, balancing him on his hip. He grabs the trailing cloth so it doesn’t get caught and he walks to his brother who is staring at the smile on Tobirama’s face as if he is seeing the sun for the first time.

When Iruka is set down, they sit with Hashirama and the boy instantly starts talking faster than Hashirama can possibly understand. Tobirama knows the feeling well, it took him months to be able to keep up. He rests a hand on Iruka’s head, “Slow down,” He tells him, “Nii-tama hasn’t spent nearly enough time listening to the brook to be able to keep up that fast.”

Iruka blushes high on his cheekbones. “Could you grow me a flower?” The boy whispers, clasping his hands together and holding them close to his chest.

Hashirama nods happily and pulls softly on his wrists, bringing his hands down, and he cups Iruka’s hands in his own, facing their palms up to the sky. With barely any effort, Hashirama wills a simple lotus blossom into existence, with lush white petals that fade to pink. It hovers for a moment in the air before it drops into Iruka’s hands.

Iruka brings it up to his face. “It’s so pretty,” He breathes out, staring at it. He smiles widely at Hashirama. “Thank you!”

Hashirama smiles right back at him. “You’re welcome!” 

Tobirama notices the plants seem a little healthier around his brother and the slight smile that’s been on his face drips off like water. “Control yourself, Nii-tama. No need to fill my home with plants that aren’t meant to be here,” He tells him sternly, his voice still soft. 

Tobirama wants to feel satisfaction at the way Hashirama’s face falls at the cold words but can’t bring himself to, not even after being left behind for so many years. It was petty of him to do such a thing, he tells himself as he stands up. 

“Iruka?” He asks the boy. “Do you still remember the way? I must say goodbye before I go with Hashirama.”

Iruka nods and gets up himself, walking ahead of them. “Where are you going, Tobi-nii? If you don’t mind me asking,” He asks over his shoulder.

Tobirama glances over his shoulder to see Hashirama scrambling to get up and follow. “Up the mountain,” He says simply. 

Iruka nods. He’s a smart child, he knows better than to pry. So he smiles at Tobirama and leads the way through the winding paths of the forest, decorated with fallen leans and dew drops that have yet to be touched by the morning sun.

As they’re walking a child quite literally emerges from the trees, only out of the trunk from his shoulders up. “Tobi-nii?” He asks quietly. “Can I come?”

Tobirama nods. “Of course you can, Yamato. Come here,” He says and he holds out his arms. Yamato’s face lights up and he slides out of the tree, revealing a small boy with long hair, green clothing, and a cloak that seems to blur at the edges. He hops over to Tobirama and Tobirama picks him up, settling the boy on his hip so he won’t slip.

“Hi Yamato,” Iruka greets happily, waving with one hand as the other still holds the lotus blossom.

Yamato grins toothily at him. “Hi ‘Ruka! Are we going to visit today?”

“Mhm,” Iruka confirms, turning back around and starts to walk again. “Tobi-nii is going up the mountain with Hashirama,” The name is said with slight emphasis, “Who is Tobi-nii’s older brother. You remember? The one who grows flowers.”

Understanding flits across Yamato’s face before it disappears and he nods quickly. The two children continue to chatter as they walk, Tobirama studiously ignoring his brothers bewildered expression.

If his brother had been around, he would know of these trips. If his brother had been around, he would know of the children that flocked to him like ants to sugar. If his brother had been around, there would be so many differences. But he wasn’t. He wasn’t and he doesn’t know. Tobirama’s mouth twists into a frown. He had been so willing to just go back to how things used to be yesterday. Now, with his mind clear, he can’t think of why he was so eager. Having Hashirama back will just be Hashirama trying to get to know him again, while he’s sure Hashirama has only changed a little bit.

Nothing he can do to change it, so he lets the thought disappear and notices that the children have gone quiet. He realizes they’ve gone quiet because they’re rounding the bend to the graves, where the trees space out to make a wide clearing. In front of them are the Senju lands and even closer to them is the graveyard. He sets Yamato down and strides forward, going ahead to make sure that something isn’t waiting for them. It’s happened before.

He only gets half way across the path before a whirring mass of shadow races up from the ground to meet him. Not a single streak of lightening, he’s impressed, and proud. He spreads his arms, holding them out to catch the child who solidifies in the mass and drops down to him, “I got you this time!” he says victoriously. 

Tobirama nods, “You sure did, Kakashi. You’re getting better at this, I didn’t even see a single spark.” The light praise makes the child smile, not that anyone could see it behind his mask, but the crinkling of his eyes was more than enough for Tobirama to tell. Iruka sighs behind them, discreetly slipping Yamato a shell. Tobirama turns to face them, “And what did I say about betting on others?” The question is enough to make both of the children look to the ground in shame.

“We didn’t bet on him, technically,” Iruka protests, looking back up at him. “Just... on if there would be any lightning or not.”

Tobirama raises a brow.

“Sorry,” They both say in unison.

Tobirama hums in approval, barely catching Hashirama’s baffled look. It’s not so strange, is it? Tobirama likes children, it is a widely known fact. Creatures of the forest would come to him when they need a healer, or when they find a child left out. He may not be the most social, but he will not withhold care from those who are in need.

Yamato was one of these children, left out by someone that, should Tobirama come to meet hem, he would absolutely despise. Yamato was only about eight years old now, only three when he had been brought to Tobirama, and he’s raised him as his own ever since. Kakashi, oh, poor Kakashi, was orphaned, and he found Tobirama by himself, with only a little help from those who knew of Tobirama, quite similarly to Iruka.

Three children of his own. Hashirama hadn’t cared enough to be around long enough to meet any of them. That’s fine. That’s not okay, but it’s fine. He gestures for them to follow, setting Kakashi back on the ground. 

Hashirama trails after them, the three children walking close to his little brother, and Tobirama ignores him. He leads them through the simple graveyard until they reach the smaller headstones. The ones used for children. The children walk right up, very much used to this routine, to Hashirama’s clear confusion. Iruka whispers a greeting, placing the lotus he had Hashirama grow for him in between Kawarama and Itama’s graves. He rises, beaming at Tobirama as he does. Resting a hand on Iruka’s head, Tobirama nods, just enough to be seen, in approval, he’s so proud of these boys. 

“Kawarama, Itama,” Tobirama starts softly, “I’ll be going to the mountains with nii-tama today, I’ll be back soon.” He takes a breath, he always hates leaving once he’s gotten there, but it is time to leave and he must make sure the children are taken care of while he is away.

Yamato, ever so perceptive, grabs his hand and pats it reassuringly. Yes, he truly is proud of them. With a small smile, he picks of Yamato, tossing him into the air as he giggles at the swift movement. He brings Yamato close, kissing his forehead before he settles the boy on his hip once again.

“Let’s be off. Do you three remember who you’ll go to?” He asks the boys, watching as they too leave a small offering for his little brothers.

“Minato.” Kakashi helpfully supplies, though he doesn’t look too happy about it. He shuffles closer to Tobirama as they walk away from the graves, dragging his little feet as he does. It’s quite endearing and it warms Tobirama to the core. 

“I’ll be back soon, Kakashi. It’s only a simple visit. Two or three days’ time and I’ll be back just like that.” He reaches down and ruffles Kakashi’s hair with his free hand. “I promise.”

That seems to be enough to satisfy him, Tobirama notes as the boy nods his head, reaching up to hold the hand still resting on his head. 

“Tobi-nii?”

Tobirama makes a questioning noise in the back of his throat as he looks over to Iruka. Was going over to Minato’s really so bad? 

“Will you sing before you go?” Iruka asks hopefully.

Oh. That’s not what he was expecting. “What would you have me sing?” He asks, already half knowing the answer.

“Icarus!” The children cheer, making him chuckle at their excitement. He catches Hashirama looking at him curiously out of the corner of his eye.

He opens his mouth and starts to sing an ancient hymn, telling the tale of a boy who fell in love with the sun.

Hashirama watches.

**Author's Note:**

> It took so long to edit and go through I'm so sorry.


End file.
